Many readers probably read through today’s front-page story, Tempest in My Soul, and felt strong emotions: Anger. Confusion. Sadness. Compassion. We live in a community steeped in faith. The influence of organized religion, especially churches, reaches into nearly every part of life here. And some topics can hit a nerve. We often find this when our reporters write about issues that touch on abortion, prayer in schools, evolution, immigration and homosexuality.
Our front-page story today deals with one of those issues. It’s the tale of a deeply religious man, a Southern Baptist minister, whose faith was shaken when he learned that his adult son was gay, then watched him die from the AIDS virus.
The story of Matt Nevels is unfolding at a time when the country continues to disagree over whether gays should be allowed to marry. Churches continue to discuss what role gays can or should play in their operations, and it remains a high-octane political debate that divides people.
In recent weeks, the issue has come up from several angles:
• President Barack Obama recently said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.